Dan Snow blooper

[Rugbyref]

In his BBC2 programme just now, Dan referred to a pilot ejecting from his WW2 Spitfire!

[mirage41]

Sadly, his similar I'll advised comments encouraged me to avoid his programmes.

First airborne test ejection was successfully made from the back of a Meatbox in July 1946.

[slogen51]

Did they have a mechanism on the Spitfire or Hurricane to quickly get the canopy out of the way or would the pilot have to slide the canopy back?

[Thunder]

Well I suppose if the pilot ejected himself from the a/c then it would be an ejection, it depends on how he said it? We automatically think of rocket powered ejection seats but you could eject from an a/c without one.

eject somebody (from something) to force somebody to leave a place or position

The pilot managed to eject moments before the plane crashed

If he said he used an ejection seat to escape the a/c, then he would be wrong of course.

[slogen51]

It's amazing they could even stand up to clamber out into a 200-400 mph wind

[mustang5861]

Wasn't the procedure to turn the aircraft inverted, loose the straps and then let gravity do its thing, or was that used only in desperation if a 'conventional' escape was impossible?

[Freeman Lowell]

He did go on to say 'bail out' though, didn't he?
Freeman

[C24]

Wasn't the procedure to turn the aircraft inverted, loose the straps and then let gravity do its thing, or was that used only in desperation if a 'conventional' escape was impossible?

Release straps, then roll inverted. Think about it

[slogen51]

I should think usually your Spitfire would be falling to bits around you so you probably wouldn't have any controls to invert. A different age and breed.

[big john]

Wasn't the procedure to turn the aircraft inverted, loose the straps and then let gravity do its thing, or was that used only in desperation if a 'conventional' escape was impossible?

From what I have read, the normal procedure was to slide back and jettison the canopy, open the side door, release straps, oxygen etc. stand on the seat and dive out sideways behind the trailing edge of wing, hoping to avoid the tail. Turning inverted seemed only to be used when wounded in the legs or unable to stand. It was also risky as you had a good chance of hitting the tail.
Dave Hastie tells what it was like if you got it wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoAgIlNLcM8

[raptor9]

Sorry, Mirage. First use of an ejector seAT

[raptor9]

Sorry, Mirage. First use of an ejector seat in an emergency was Hans Schenk on the 13th of January 1942 from a Heinkel 280 after it's controls iced up.

[mustang5861]

Wasn't the procedure to turn the aircraft inverted, loose the straps and then let gravity do its thing, or was that used only in desperation if a 'conventional' escape was impossible?

Release straps, then roll inverted. Think about it

Yeah, I see what you mean. Thanks for putting me in order (the right order!) on that.

[mirage41]

Sorry, Mirage. First use of an ejector seat in an emergency was Hans Schenk on the 13th of January 1942 from a Heinkel 280 after it's controls iced up.

Yes, you're correct raptor, the Luftwaffe had ejection seats in some aircraft

The RAF though did not have the facility on any aircraft until after Martin Baker developed one from 1946.

Hence the advice that pilot ejected from a WW2 Spitfire could not be correct.

[Sparts99]

[/quote]

Yes, you're correct raptor, the Luftwaffe had ejection seats in some aircraft

[/quote]
the Do 335 Pfiel had an ejector seat of sorts, the pilot had to jettison the canopy first, it wasn't an automated end to end sequence.

[Supra]

I love the English language! Similar words, but totally different meanings..."if the pilot extracted himself from the a/c" that would be appropriate for a Spitfire?
..."if the pilot ejected himself from the a/c" that would be appropriate for a mechanically assisted departure mostly associated with jets!
But the best US. Local TV 'Breaking News' female feature blooper was a 5 minute old report about an F4 Phantom crash in the Point Mugu circuit where "both pilots (sic) were reported to have safely ejaculated"
Oh to be a Naval Aviator...